Key Summary
- The lecture was held in memory of Dr José Moss, former vice-chair of CPPSG.
- The lecture builds on the success of the ‘Bank Holiday resources campaign’, which shared a video and checklist to help pharmacy teams deliver opioid treatment during bank holidays.
- The event also covered opioid stewardship, independent prescribing, models of care, and the policies and patient strategy needed to deliver these.
The Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group (CPPSG) on Wednesday (6) hosted a patient safety lecture at the University of Nottingham in memory of Dr José Moss, former vice-chair of the group and Deputy Superintendent Pharmacist and Medication Safety Officer, Boots.
The lecture builds on the success of the ‘Bank Holiday resources campaign’, which shared a video and checklist to help pharmacy teams deliver opioid treatment programmes safely over bank holiday periods.
The event brought together a broad range of attendees, from students to professionals working across community and hospital pharmacy, NHS England (NHSE), the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and many others with a shared interest in opioid safety.
It also marked the CPPSG’s tenth anniversary and was hosted in partnership with the University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy during its centenary year.
Martin Sadrkazemi, chair, CPPSG, reflected on ten years of the forum, including the pivotal role Dr José Moss played as its founding member and later vice-chair.
He said, “It was a privilege to welcome colleagues, collaborators and sponsors to the University of Nottingham to mark ten years of the CPPSG and to remember Dr José Moss’ outstanding contribution to patient safety. By focusing on opioid safety we want to support safer prescribing, dispensing and use of medicines for patients across the country. The CPPSG looks forward to celebrating another decade, acting as the leading voice in driving the patient safety agenda within community pharmacy.”
Company Chemists' Association chief executive Malcolm Harrison said, “Community pharmacy has a vital role in medicines safety, and bringing together patient, clinical, academic and sector expertise is an important part of that. We were proud to support the CPPSG as it hosts this lecture which facilitated an open discussion about opioid stewardship, independent prescribing and the changes and ideas needed to help prevent harm.
"The lecture was held in memory Dr José Moss and I would like to personally pay tribute to the amazing work that Jose did for both patient safety in pharmacy and leading on the pragmatic and progressive development of pharmacy professional practice.”
The event also covered opioid stewardship, independent prescribing, models of care, and the policies and patient strategy needed to deliver these.
Antony Chuter, an expert patient, shared his personal experience with pain and how he now acts as a champion for people living with pain.
He was followed by Matthew Boyd, Professor of Medicines Safety and Head of the Division of Pharmacy Practice and Policy University of Nottingham, who shared research on the prescribing and supply of fentanyl patches conducted by the university in conjunction with the CPPSG.
Professor Dame Jenny Harries, chair of Community Pharmacy England and Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham chaired a discussion, and the panellists included:
- Professor Tony Avery, National Clinical director for Prescribing and GP in Nottingham, Professor of Primary Health Care, University of Nottingham.
- Professor Roger Knaggs, president, British Pain Society and Professor of Pain Management, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham.
- Dr Anum Iqbal, chief pharmaceutical officer’s Clinical Fellow 2025/26.Antony Chuter, Expert patient - champion for people living with pain.
- Martin Sadrkazemi, Medication Safety Officer (MSO) and Deputy Superintendent, Rowlands Pharmacy and Chair, Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group.
Professor Dame Jenny Harries said, “In my role as chair of Community Pharmacy England, I am continually reminded of the importance of cross-sector collaboration in improving patient safety. This lecture brought together an expert panel spanning clinical practice, academia and lived experience, and highlighted the progress made in opioid safety while reinforcing the work still needed across the system.”
The CPPSG is hosted by the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) and is sponsored by Cegedim Rx, NPA Insurance, Numark Membership, Pharmsmart and Proveca.
It provides a forum for large community pharmacy organisations (defined as 50 or more pharmacies in the MHRA alert), competitors in a commercial sense, to openly share and learn from each other when things go wrong, as well as from other sectors and industries.
It is made up of the largest community pharmacy businesses, as well as organisations representing independent pharmacies and small multiples.
